As articulated in the Society 5.0 initiatives, installing smart cities in Japan has been one of the priority measures to resolve social and economic issues related to mobility, health, tourism, energy, environment, finance, government services, etc. Recently, Japanese diet passed the Digital Procedure Law to accelerate digitalization of administrative procedures of governments, which is expected to serve as an important basis for promoting smart cities.

Smart City Institute Japan (SCI-J) is a not-for-profit organization to be established in September 2019 by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd. and Nikkei Inc. SCI-J aims to provide a membership program for public, private, and social sector organizations engaged in the development of smart cities in Japan.

SCI-J will conduct in-depth quality research report on the world’s leading smart cites through close collaboration with major universities and research institutions around the globe. Based on the research, SCI-J will organize seminars, symposiums, and business tours for members, support members build knowledge base necessary to design and implement smart cities.

To promote best practices of smart cities and encourage further enrichment of new smart city ideas, SCI-J will gra nt annual awards to local governments, companies, startups, not-for-profit organizations, and individuals who significantly contribute to advancement of smart cities in Japan. As a way of developing young leaders dedicated to smart city development, SCI-J will introduce smart city research challenge contests for undergraduate and graduate students in collaboration with members and sponsors. .

▶Please see the list of members here.

Applications from companies and organizations agreeing with the purpose and activities of SCI-Japan will be granted membership subject to board review of the application documents. (Application will start in September 2019)